Martin Guitar Expands Use of DNA Technology to Include Strings

 announced in August 2011 that to help ensure that one of the world’s oldest and most respected musical brands -- based in Upper Nazareth Township -- stays pure.

With an agreement in place with Applied DNA Sciences, or APDN, every new Martin Guitar is marked with a distinctive “DNA” pattern or “tag” that cannot be duplicated by counterfeiters.

But what about the millions of guitar strings produced each year at Martin Guitar's factory in Navojoa, Mexico?

Those, too, will have DNA markings, according to an announcement made Wednesday.

"We continue to work with Applied DNA Sciences on developing this program, first with our custom guitars, which have now extended to our laminates, and soon we will begin to mark our strings," said Chris Martin IV in a press release. "We are serious about protecting our brand. Like I have said before, if you want to make guitars go ahead -- just don't use the Martin Guitar name on it."

APDN describes its "SigNature" DNA technology as “a botanical mark used to authenticate products in a unique manner that essentially cannot be copied, and provide a forensic chain of evidence that can be used to prosecute perpetrators.”

"Botanical DNA marking provides the ultimate security by protecting the guitar strings and the guitar itself at the original point of manufacture," said Gregory Paul, Martin Guitar's vice president of business development. "DNA technology will help us to ascertain product authenticity, and it is consistent with Martin Guitar’s intellectual property protection strategy. Use of this technology for strings and other musical instruments by others in our industry can only help in the fight against counterfeiting." 

APDN will also participate in the annual Owner’s Day activities at Martin Guitar in Upper Nazareth Township on Friday, Aug. 3. The festivities will take place the day before .

Martin Guitar, which has been family owned and operated since it was founded in 1833, is one of the most famous musical brands in the world. Each guitar is handmade at the company’s guitar factory at 510 Sycamore St.

For more information, visit www.martinguitar.com.